Conservative British Prime Minister David Cameron is in the fight of his life in this May’s election. But he’ll probably lose to Labour.
And that’s not because Britons are returning to the ideals of the left-wing party once headed by Tony Blair, now by Ed Miliband.
Labour will likely win almost entirely because of conflict over the country’s high-immigration policy.
The ruling Conservative Party’s support is being eaten away by the United Kingdom Independence Party ... Read More …

The relationship between immigration and Vancouver housing prices, Shariah law and Joel Osteen were three of the subjects that seemed to most draw readers’ attention in 2014.
The 25 most popular blog postings on The Search revolved around immigration, the increasingly “Asian” nature of Metro Vancouver, Muslims, ferry costs, the Christian prosperity gospel, the wealthy immigrant program, Hong Kong, Stephen Harper’s connection to evangelicals, inter-ethnic dating, the best Jesus movies and contradictions in the live-in-caregivers ... Read More …

Farhan Lalji became devoted to football on Christmas Day — and thousands of New Westminster boys are grateful.
As one of the most popular sports journalists in Canada, as well as the longtime head coach of the New Westminster Secondary School’s Hyacks football team, Lalji remembers how left out he felt on Christmas Day as a youngster.
Arriving in Canada from Tanzania when he was four, the boy who would later go on to become ... Read More …

How are Canada’s Muslims really doing?
If you answered this question solely on the headlines about Canadian soldiers killed by extremists and a convert from Ottawa threatening Islamic State attacks, you could be forgiven for believing Canada’s Muslims are thinking only about online beheadings and homegrown terrorism.
But everyday reality for Canada’s 1.2 million Muslims, most of whom are immigrants, is peppered with far more challenges — both external and internal — than those related ... Read More …

Business-class immigrants have very low levels of “attachment” to Canada — both when they arrive and especially after four years in the country.
The Statistics Canada survey data is presented in a new book by Abdie Kazemipur, a professor of sociology at the University of Lethbridge.
Nearly all immigrants reveal a weak level of attachment to Canada after four years in the country. That includes refugees and those who come to Canada for family reunification ... Read More …

A vigorous debate between Chinese Christians in Canada has been taking place on this blog, The Search, in the last couple of weeks over whether to fully support the Hong Kong protests.
In this installment two dozen Chinese Christians with roots in Vancouver passionately stand up for the pro-democracy protesters, who are in the third week of a stand-off with troops and politicians over their dogged push for free elections in Hong Kong.
The Chinese ... Read More …

Two journalists who serve Hong Kong readers are incredulous that Canada allows a backdoor route for wealthy people, mostly from mainland China, to immigrate to Canada.
Both Ian Young and Jake Van der Kamp, one of Hong Kong’s leading commentators, have exposed the grave flaws in the way the province of Quebec is pitches wealthy mainland Chinese to immigrate to Montreal with promises of Canadian citizenship.
But when they come to Canada the majority stay ... Read More …

Every day, thousands of immigrants and migrant workers in Metro Vancouver head to the nearest money transfer outlet to send money home – often to needy family members, sometimes to invest.
These outlets, called remittance centres, are on almost every commercial street in Metro – in grocery stores, hair salons, florists, post-office outlets, Safeways, Walmarts and even sports bars.
Some are neat and tidy, some are rundown. These remittance centres are the unassuming face of ... Read More …

Many Canadians make the case for compassion when they maintain the country should retain one of the world’s most generous rates for welcoming immigrants and refugees.
Canadians’ hearts go out when they hear about people struggling in countries like Guatemala, the Philippines, India and Lebanon. We tend to believe Canada has a duty to offer a better life.
Many Canadians want to be especially kind when they read about conflict-ravaged countries like Syria, Iraq, Burma, ... Read More …

Sun colleague Chad Skelton had an exclusive report this week, which showed that more than 60 Metro Vancouver schools have a majority of English-as-a-second-language students.
Skelton provided an interactive school map so readers could check out the proportion of ESL, plus special needs, students at individual schools.
The rapid rise of ESL students, in the past, caused educators and governments to assume they are disadvantaged. The belief has led officials to formally create special programs ... Read More …

Edward Yang is sad about the city he grew up in. His parents emigrated from Taiwan to B.C. without much money, yet in the early 1990s they were able to afford a small house in East Vancouver.
But Yang and his wife, who earn strong incomes in Los Angeles while bringing up their child, doubt they will ever be able to follow a dream to return to the West Coast Canadian metropolis.
“Vancouver’s become a ... Read More …

Fiona Zhao is frustrated that many Chinese-Canadians are unwilling to “speak the truth” about the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown on unarmed protesters.
The Metro Vancouver mother of three, who left her home in mainland China 10 years ago, joins other Chinese-Canadians and two Asian studies scholars in confirming many Chinese-Canadians are ashamed or intimidated about speaking publicly about the violence in China’s Tiananmen Square 25 years ago on June 4.
“People died for a very ... Read More …

A group of ethnic Chinese leaders is holding a forum this Saturday, April 5th, at West Richmond Community Centre to make sure Canada’s recently cancelled wealthy-investor immigrant program does not get revived.
This group of ethnic Chinese, spearheaded by Huang Hebian, adamantly disagrees with other Chinese groups – in both Canada and China – who are intent on launching a class-action lawsuit against Canada’s federal government for declaring it will cancel the controversial investor-class program.... Read More …

What is the significance of Metro Vancouver becoming the most “Asian” city outside Asia?
Forty-three per cent of Metro Vancouver residents have an Asian heritage, which is a much higher proportion than any other major city outside the continent of Asia.
Based on Statistics Canada reports, the number of those with Asian roots in Metro Vancouver will continue to grow at a faster rate than the non-Asian population.
Around the globe, the only major cities ... Read More …

The Canada West foundation has put out a report making the claim that immigration to B.C. has been “stagnant”since 2000 (see page 8).
This may seem confusing for Metro Vancouver residents, for good reason. The Canada West Foundation has been quite selective in highlighting certain statistical trends while downplaying others.
This is the first instalment of a new Vancouver Sun online series titled Migration Facts
Based in Calgary, the Canada West Foundation went out of ... Read More …

The young ethnic Koreans squeezed into a hall at Grace Community Church in Surrey are standing and singing along with a Christian rock group, with many swaying and waving their arms.
“Pull me a little closer to you Lord,” sing the 175 youth, the majority of whom are male.
“I want to know your heart,” they chant, as the passionate female lead singer allows her hair to fall coquettishly over her eyes.
When worship ... Read More …

It is conventional thinking in Canada that, since the population is aging, seniors need to be replaced by young immigrants.
It’s the theory of most mainstream media commentators and the alarmist book by journalist Ted Fishman, titled Shock of Grey: The Aging of the World’s Population and How It Pits Young Against Old, Child Against Parent, Worker Against Boss, Company Against Rival and Nation Against Nation (Scribner).
As a stock theory, replacing elderly people with ... Read More …

University of B.C. geography David Ley wrote a ground-breaking book in 2010 titled Millionaire Migrants: Trans-Pacific Life Lines (Wiley).
The well-researched book explored the rapid rate by which wealthy East Asian migrants came to Canada, Australia and a few other countries during the 1990s.
However, since then the pace of millionaire migrants into B.C. and other parts of Canada has only increased.
Last year, 68 per cent of millionaires in B.C. were either immigrants or ... Read More …

Canadian. Immigrant. Corporate president. Philanthropist. Punjabi. Sikh. Christian. Certified yoga teacher. Property developer. Gas station owner. Tim Horton’s franchisee. Globe-trotter. Adviser to governments. Husband. Father. Son.
Mover.
Shaker.
Barj Dhahan is all of these things. And more.
He is a boundary crosser. He has followed many paths and fills numerous roles. He readily acknowledges he is one of those residents of multicultural Canada who has multiple identities.
“I feel fortunate in who I am. ... Read More …